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Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 22
Rejecting the government notification for implementing one rank, one pension (OROP) formula for the armed forces on the grounds that it was unfair and full of flaws, the United Front of Ex-servicemen has decided to take their battle to the Supreme Court.
Revealing that they would be filing a petition before the apex court within few days, Major General Satbir Singh (retd), the front’s adviser today claimed that several top lawyers have agreed to take up their cause without charging any fee. Terming the notification a “betrayal”, he said there were seven serious flaws in the order which was contrary to the defined and accepted definition of the OROP. The formula that was devised by the Defence Minister and acceptable to the veterans was later subverted by the Ministry of Finance and the Prime Minister’s Office, he added.
Non-inclusion of future pre-mature retirees in the ambit of OROP, revision of pension once in five years instead of every year, fixation of pension at the average of the minimum and maximum of the pay scale instead of the maximum, fixing 2013 calendar year instead of the financial year for implementation and appointing a one-man judicial commission with inclusion of stake holders to address anomalies are among the flaws in the government order, Major General Satbir said. “These flaws would lead to veterans losing one increment, seniors getting lesser pension and result in one rank many pensions,” he added.
Stating that they were not agitating for money, but for ethos, dignity and equality, he said the government notification was not fair and not acceptable, and the veterans’ fight for their rights would continue.
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